The present invention relates to a chewy confectionery product, in particular, a chewy confectionery product comprising crystallized sugar, and the invention relates to crystallyzation of a sugar solution to obtain a mass to obtain the product and forming the product into a shape and relates to molding procedures including depositing and injection molding.
Chewy products are well known in the sugar confection industry. A chew has a certain resistance to mastication both from flow past the teeth (toughness) and dissolution, i.e., the length of the chew. The length of the chew before full dissolution is normally a couple of minutes. It will be appreciated that this kind of product is different from chewing-gums, which are a gum-based confection which is not intended to be dissolved upon chewing.
The texture of a sugar confection varies with its crystallisation. A sugar confection's crystallisation depends on its nucleation, which is the formation of solute crystals prior to growth, and the crystallyzation growth, which is the process by which solute molecules build onto existing crystals and increase their size. The growth rate relies upon transfer of the solute from the bulk solution to the growing surface. Nucleation and growth rates may be controlled by selecting temperature, process and recipe conditions.
Traditionally, chewy sugar confectionery or candy is manufactured by heating, beating and whipping a sugar mass consisting of sugar, fats and water until it has the right consistency and forming it into a rope. The rope is then cut into pieces of a size suitable for consumption. The cutting is, for example, done by knives or by using a rotary die. Prior to the cutting, the chewy product is left for relaxation in order to allow molecular movements to take place in order to advance the nucleation, crystalline powder may be added to a sugar confection during the manufacturing.
Due to the nature of conventional manufacturing methods, the shaping of chewy products is limited to cutting and rotary die forming. Furthermore, the conventional methods require a relaxation step before cutting, packing and wrapping of the candies. Problems with cold flow are experienced for this type of manufacturing method.
The present invention aims to solve these drawbacks.